NonMagical Abilities & Other Strange Things
by PancakesWithMilk
Summary: Cass, Max-Ernest, and Yo-Yoji embark on an adventure...all the way downtown. But when a strange specialist they asked to help them conducts an unusual experiment, will the three Terces Society members be able to undo the abilities they somehow now possess without killing each other first?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Pictures and Paste

Cass was pasting an article on the kidnapping of Jaycee Lee Dugard when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" she yelled, pounding down the stairs. The pointy-eared girl felt butterflies in her stomach as she screeched to a stop just a foot from the front door. What if it was Yo-Yoji?

_Don't be stupid, _Cass scolded herself, ears flaming red at her apprehension. _Who cares if it's Yo-Yoji? He's my friend. I mean, duh. _

__Still, she hesitated before taking the doorknob and turning it.

"Guess what I found out?"

Before Cass could react, a certain spiky-haired boy rushed in the door, pink in the face. "What, no 'hello, how are you'?" Cassandra said sarcastically as Max-Ernest regained his breath.

Max-Ernest turned to her. "There's no time!" he cried, hands flying in exaggerated motions in front of him. "Where's Yo-Yoji? He needs to be here too!"

Cass shook her head. "Not here yet. What's so important, anyway? You look like you just run a marathon."

"I'll tell you when Yo-Yoji gets here. I hope he hurries." Max-Ernest stood a little awkwardly, hands stuffed in his pockets. "Er," he mumbled a bit sheepishly, looking hopefully at his friend, "D'you have any chocolate, by any chance?"

"What for?" Cass groaned, closing the door. "You practically ate us out of house and home last time your parents decided to have a little 'break'."

"It's ridiculous!" the boy exploded dramatically, "No chocolate for a whole week? They said they were working things out between Paul-Clay and their own problems, but-but-what about my _state of being_? I can't work without chocolate! By this point, I'm desperate! I'd even take milk chocolate! _Milk _chocolate, Cass! Now do you see how hopeless this all is?"

"No." Cassandra walked into the kitchen, Max-Ernest trailing, still moaning, behind her. Melanie, Cass's adopted mother, was talking animatedly on the phone with Albert 3-D, Daniel-Not-Danielle's father and her own (_ick_) boyfriend. Cass purposely ignored her mother as they rummaged through the pantry.

"We have some baking chocolate chips," said Cass thoughtfully, taking the bag down from a high shelf with a little help from a step-stool. Max-Ernest immediately jumped at the chance, and by the time the two friends were walking up the stairs he had scarfed down half the bag's worth.

"So...when's...Yo-Yoji, hmmgh, going to get here?" asked Max-Ernest as he popped one chocolate chip after the other into his mouth. Cass shrugged wordlessly. The pair stepped into Cass's bedroom.

"Hey, what's this?" Max-Ernest picked up the article Cass had been pasting earlier. "It's all gluey. Is this the next big thing for your Wall of Horrors?" The spiky-haired boy held it an inch away from the wall, squinting at it critically.

"Yup," answered Cass proudly, her face brightening. "It's going to go right between that one big article about forest fires and the clipping on the tsunami in Hawaii. Want to help me glue it while we're waiting?"

"Sure!"

And that is exactly what they did.


	2. Chapter 2: Dr Geoffrey Yufredo

**Author's Note: Hi! I'm sorry I didn't post an Author's Note on the first chapter, I was just so anxious to get it published! Anyway, hi, I'm PancakesWithMilk, and this is my first Secret Series fanfic, and my second fanfic on a whole. :^) I love the Secret Series, and I hope you love it too! Don't be afraid to comment! I LOVE COMMENTS! AND REVIEWS! AND WORDPLAY! AND WORDS IN GENERAL! Enjoy the second chapter! :^)**

Chapter Two: Dr. Geoffrey Yufredo

"Okay, what now?" asked Yo-Yoji, leaning against the Wall of Horrors casually. Cass and Max-Ernest shared dubious looks with each other, until Max-Ernest finally remembered what he came to Cass's house for.

"I found a specialist," he explained, "you know...someone who can help us with the Secret."

At the words "the Secret", Yo-Yoji's face turned a little sour. "Oh yeah-you mean the Secret that you haven't told me yet? The one that holds the secret to all immortality? Yeah, okay. Excuse me while I wonder what the heck you dudes are talking about because _I don't know the freaking Secret_!" He flung his arms up and gazed at his friends angrily.

Max-Ernest shifted in his shoes and avoided Yo-Yoji's eyes. He did sort of kind of wanted to tell Yo-Yoji-after all, he was their friend too. But somehow the words wouldn't come. _Why's Yo-Yoji getting so upset anyway? _a voice in his head asked him. _Because we haven't told him the Secret yet, _Max-Ernest reminded it. _Oh yeah. Why don't you tell him the Secret then? _

_Because I don't really-I-um-I don't know, _Max-Ernest thought a little uncomfortably.

_I know why!_ said an itty-bitty voice that hardly ever piped up.

_Why? _asked Max-Ernest and the other voice curiously, though Max-Ernest could tell he wouldn't like the answer from the way the itty-bitty voice spoke the words so smugly, as if it knew something he didn't, which was ridiculous because it was Max-Ernest's mind, after all.

_Becaaaauuuse... _sneered the voice venomously, _You want to keep it a secret! You don't want Yo-Yoji to know because you want to keep it between you and Cass, because you were here first and-_

_Shut up, _Max-Ernest admonished the itty-bitty voice before it could say anything he felt uncomfortable with. The voices went quiet.

Fingers blurred in front of his face as someone snapped. "Max-Ernest," said Yo-Yoji, "What's your plan?"

Max-Ernest blinked and looked at his friends. Cass was now next to Yo-Yoji. Max-Ernest looked beside him and felt disappointed to see that Cassandra had left, even though he already knew it from his previous glance. "Did you already, um-tell him?" he asked Cass awkwardly. Yo-Yoji shot an irritated glance at Cass, who avoided his eyes.

"Nope," Yo-Yoji answered loudly. "Not yet."

Silence.

"We'll...we'll tell you soon," muttered Cass faintly.

"Someday," offered Max-Ernest helpfully. But that only seemed to make Yo-Yoji's face redden with anger. The spiky-haired boy wondered if he had said something wrong again-after all, he was only repeating what Cass had said to him. What was wrong with that? And it was the truth!

"Anyway," broke in Cass before an argument could ensue, "why don't you tell us your specialist idea, Max-Ernest."

Ignoring the smoldering looks from Yo-Yoji and the tense glances from Cass, Max-Ernest was happy to get on to a subject more suited to his tastes and explained gladly, "Well, I was looking on the Internet for specialists on...well...stuff to do with the Secret-like, immortality and things-and found this guy who lives downtown. His name is Dr. Geoffrey Yufredo, and he professions in things like immortality, ideas of the Other Side-stuff like that. I thought he'd be perfect." Max-Ernest beamed at his friends.

They didn't beam back. "How do you know this guy's legit?" asked Yo-Yoji a bit aggressively, folding his arms.

"Yo-Yoji's right-for all we know, this so-called 'specialist' could be some fraud making money off of people's paranoia and vulnerability," said Cass wisely.

"But you don't understand!" cried Max-Ernest excitedly, "Guys, c'mere-I need to show you the website."

A few minutes later the trio was staring dumbstruck at a computer screen, Max-Ernest's index finger jabbing straight at the words in tiny lettering at the bottom of the webpage:

_Dr. Geoffrey Yufredo, former member of the 'We Love Universities!' Club for Scientists of All Ages, Science Throughout the Ages Community, and Solar Zero Company._

__**Author's Note: DUN...DUN...DUUUNNN! You might remember the so-called Solar Zero company from "You Have to Stop This", and if you don't...well, RE-READ IT (and relish in its awesomeness yet again!) and gasp in horror! Um...well, please rate and review! I feel like I rushed through this chapter... . The next one will be more interesting, hopefully!  
Also, Max-Ernest hears voices in his head. O.O**

**Also-also, I'M SORRY I MADE YO-YOJI SEEM SO AGGRESSIVE AND MEAN IN THIS CHAPTER. I honestly like Yo-Yoji (although I am a Cass x Max-Ernest fan, teehee), and although I am a fan of C x M-E, I promise I will not immediately go to the whole "Yo-Yoji's mean so Cass realizes she really loves MAX-ERNEST WHO IS SOOO NICE AND STUFF LOL" plot. He'll get nicer, I promise. :^)**

**Post Script (or P.S.): I know you might be thinking, "Why do they need a specialist? What are they trying to do with the Secret again? I'M SO CONFUSED!", so I am terribly sorry for the confusion-and if you really DO have a problem understanding something, don't hesitate to PM me! Or, y'know, something! :^)**

**Bye, see you for Chapter Three! **

**Signed,**

**PancakesWithMilk**


	3. Chapter 3: The Bus Uncomfortable

Chapter Three: The Bus - Yo-Yoji's Perspective: Uncomfortable

Yo-Yoji was feeling uncomfortable. Uncomfortable because he was sitting in a hot, stuffy bus. Uncomfortable because he was sitting next to Cass, and he felt uncomfortable because he was uncomfortable for that reason. Uncomfortable because he thought this whole specialist Yufredo or whatever his name was was complete and utter bunk. Uncomfortable for his anger at his friends earlier that day. Uncomfortable and hurt that Cass and Max-Ernest didn't want to tell him the Secret, even though he thought he had a right to know. Uncomfortable, well, because of a lot of things. _Too many_, Yo-Yoji thought, _to count. _

The bus thumped over another bump in the road. The boy gripped the fabric of the elongated bus seat. He had never too terribly liked public transportation - it always seemed too much of a bother when you could just as easily jump in the car and drive yourself. He glanced over at Cass, wondering briefly if she liked buses. The pointy-eared girl seemed unfazed by the heat and rumblings of the road under the bus's well-worn wheels. He glanced back at the small pink clogs of another passenger, a young girl that looked about seven or eight. She was swinging her legs carelessly. Yo-Yoji stared at the steady blur of pink shoes until he felt dizzy, then glanced up. What he saw was the face of a maybe-forty-something woman with a brunette bob who was staring at him, clearly weirded out, as she pulled her little girl closer to her. Yo-Yoji looked quickly away, embarrassed and wishing the ride was over.

His fingers relaxed on the bus seat's fabric as the ride grew slightly smoother. As far as he knew, downtown was only so far away. Had they gotten there already? He allowed his hopes to soar, until the bumpiness started again with a particularly rough jolt. With a gasp, Yo-Yoji's hands groped for purchase on the bus seat again, but instead brushed flesh. Another hand.

It was Cass's.

Yo-Yoji gently lifted his hand, unsure and embarrassed, off of his friend's, but she just lifted hers as well until it was hovering over his. Without a word, Cassandra's hand tugged at Yo-Yoji's fingers until they were entwined. "You okay?" she whispered urgently. "You look pale."

"No." Yo-Yoji was not "okay" and would never be "okay" again, not now, not that Cass was holding his hand and not letting it drift away. He felt something rather different than "okay". In fact, he felt much, much better.

**Author's Note: TEEHEE! I hope some Cass x Yo-Yoji fans liked that. :) By the way, if you hadn't already picked this up, I'm going to switch perspectives each chapter. The first chapter was Cass's point of view, second was Max-Ernest's, and third one (this one) was Yo-Yoji's, and the next one will be Cass's again. YAY! I'll admit, I like this chapter a lot more than the second and first. :^/ I feel like I didn't rush on this one. My next objective is to write a chapter when Yo-Yoji says the word "dude". Or "yo". ._.**

**ONWARD TO CHAPTER FOUR, MY DEAR COMRADES! **

**Signed,**

**PancakesWithMilk**

**Post Script: By the way, I know Cass's "holding hands" thing was out of character, but that'll be explained in Chapter Four. I really hope I'm getting their characterizations right... O.o**

**REMEMBER TO REVIEW! Please! Nothing warms my heart more than a nice, solid review! 3**


	4. Chapter 4: Too Long a Name to Write Here

Chapter Four: The Bus - Cass's Perspective: Why Cass Held Hands with Yo-Yoji (A.K.A. A Lovey Dovey Chapter)

Cassandra liked buses. They got you where you wanted to go, fast, and were awfully convenient. She loved the feeling of adventure that plagued her footsteps every time she walked onto one. She liked buses because of how useful and practical they were.

Unfortunately, not everyone liked them as much as her, and it seemed Yo-Yoji was one of those "everyone"s. He looked pale, his mouth contorted into a slightly concerned frown as his fingers clung to his seat. Cass could see him staring at a little girl with pink clogs on and wondered what the heck he was thinking about. She, in fact, was half thinking about this "doctor", whomever* he was, and half thinking about Yo-Yoji.

That happened to her a lot these days - thinking about Yo-Yoji, that is, not half thinking. The back of her brain might know why, but if it did it wasn't telling the poor girl. Or maybe Cass was blocking it out because the alternative of hearing it was too painful and confusing and downright _embarrassing_ - that works too. But anyway, Cass was wondering about her tallest friend, who had looked away from the young girl by now and was blushing.

"Weird," she muttered quietly to herself, which was weird in itself because Cassandra almost never talked to herself. The ride had gone smoother now, and Yo-Yoji seemed to have relaxed - until suddenly the bus jolted. His face widened, panic-stricken, and his mouth opened in a gasp as his hands flew to the seat again...a bit too far. Cass could feel herself grow numb as his hand landed on hers. The numbness continued as Yo-Yoji, realizing what he had done, pulled his hand away, turning redder. But suddenly, a thought seized Cass's head: _Put your hand back. Please. I like it there._

__Unfortunately, Cass wasn't telepathic. Or telekinetic. Or telephonic. Or telegraphic. Or teledvkjfdspivf.

So, she finally decided to take charge and grabbed Yo-Yoji's hand in her own. When he turned, shocked, to look at her, she smiled at him and asked, still sort of numb, "You okay? You look pale."

"No," he said, but he was staring at her and smiling. Cassandra's smile widened, and their fingers entwined even more tightly. She moved a little closer to him, and he moved a little closer to her. Cass wasn't sure what was happening. The back of her brain, the Practical, Real Cass, was screaming at her, that this was wrong, what was she doing, what would her mother say, and all sorts of uninteresting things like that, but the Cass that was in control currently didn't care about the Practical, Real Cass or what she was screaming. She just cared about what little space was between Yo-Yoji and herself, and the white fizzing noise in her ears, and her heart pounding in her chest...

**Author's Note: *In case you thought I had misspelled "whoever", I didn't - "whomever" is actually a word! Cool, huh? ^_^**

**Okay, so I didn't really explain the whole "holding hands" thing that well, like I promised in the last chapter. Sorry. I'm not really good at explaining OOC things. :^(**

**Anyway, Max-Ernest is next! Yay! MY FAVORITE CHARACTER! And he hadn't been mentioned in two chapters! NOOO...**

**I love writing for Max-Ernest because he's just so quirky and sweet and innocent. That's also why I love Max-Ernest in general - er, I mean "like". I LIKE Max-Ernest. Not love.**

**...**

**...Heh heh. O.O**

**Signed,**

**PancakesWithMilk**

**Post Script: UNTIL CHAPTER FIVE! MARCH! **


	5. Chapter 5: The Bus ME's Perspective

Chapter Five: The Bus - Max-Ernest's Perspective: Cuddling 

Max-Ernest was jittering with excitement. Finally, they were going to find out what the Secret really, truly meant! And the speculation was going to be made by a true specialist! And he had found out about him - _him_, not anyone else.

_Yep, _snickered the itty-bitty voice in his head, _How does that make you feel, now that you've triumphed over Yo-Yoji?_

_That doesn't make any sense, _Max-Ernest thought, slightly disgusted that the deep recesses of his mind would make such a nonsensical statement. _I am slightly disgusted that the deep recesses of my mind would make such a nonsensical statement._

_You've triumphed and you know it, _drawled the voice calmly, _You're just tuning me out because you don't want to hear the truth. Isn't that why you talk so much? Because your stupid little brain can't handle the truth? That you're incurable, socially awkward, and only a few timid steps away from insane?_

_I'm not insane, _thought Max-Ernest indignantly, _And if I am, you are just as insane, because you are apart of my so-called 'stupid little brain', and anyway, what kind of voice are you, insulting your master like that? _

_Who said you were my master? _asked the voice in a slightly chilling tone, _If anything, _I _am your master, Max-Ernest. I am merely letting you inhibit this body on the whole, acting as its guide through the troublesome and trivial times of adolescence. _

_Hey guys! _chirped another voice, _What's going on? _

_Shut up, _said the mean voice meanly.

_Okay!_

_Don't talk to it like that, _ordered Max-Ernest, _What a rude thing to say. I would never say that*. _

_That's because you're not me and I am not you, _growled the rude, mean voice. _I am merely here to antagonize your deeper inner feelings that you would never admit into your piteous brain because you are too much of a, ahem, 'good person'. _

_You're not allowed to use quotations, _Max-Ernest informed the rule-breaking, rude, mean voice.

_Shut up. Now, let me tell you what I appeared here to say: that - _

_Now I know why you never pipe up, _Max-Ernest grumbled.

_I said to shut up. Now - _

_Is anyone else hungry? _asked the little voice.

_SHUT UP! _roared the yelling, rule-breaking, rude, mean voice.

_You're just mad because nobody likes your personality,_ said the little voice wisely.

_I think it's right, _said Max-Ernest knowingly.

_Well...well... _sulked the meanie voice sulkily, _I think it's charming. _

And then the voices went away, and Max-Ernest blinked, realizing for the past five minutes or so he had been staring at a piece of gum stuck to a pole. And that he had only one thing to say.

"Guys," he announced to his friends while still staring at the hypnotizing piece of gum, "I think I have schizophrenia."

The only reactions he got was a couple of odd looks from other passengers, including the bus driver. The bus went over a rough bump, and the bus driver quickly turned away and resumed doing his job before he killed anyone.

But no other response was heard. Max-Ernest quickly leaned over and craned his neck to the right and promptly fell to the floor.

Because Cass and Yo-Yo-Yoji were holding hands. And touching shoulders. And making secret faces at each other THAT WEREN'T SO SECRET BECAUSE HE, MAX-ERNEST X. XXXXX, COULD SEE THEM.

Max-Ernest thought about what he was witnessing in rapid-fire streaks of thought that went mostly like this: _OhmygoshwhattheheckisCassand himdoingandwhyaren'tIincludedandwhydidIeventhin kthatafterallIdon'twanttohaveanythingtodowithw hatthey'redoinganywaybecauseitiscert ainlysomethingthatissupposed tobeasecretbutatthesametimei sn'tbecauseIcanseethemandsocane veryoneonthebusunlessmaybeth ey'reallblindbutifthebusdriveri sblindthenwhyintheworldished rivingabussurelyhecouldhaveh adotherjoboptionsunlessofcou rsehewasbestatbusdrivingeven thoughhe'sblindbutwhytheheckamIthinki nglikethiswhenCassandYo-Yojiare...are..._

_Cuddling._

The mere thought made Max-Ernest want to blush and throw up and cry and talk rapidly and eat chocolate and ask questions and sit down and stand up and ask why and answer himself and eat more chocolate and yell and scream and whine and sing an awfully sappy ballad all at once.

A confusing feeling, but surely you've felt it once or twice in your life.

"Excuse me?"

Max-Ernest rolled his eyeballs around in his head until they finally roused his shocked brain and settled on the woman who had asked the question (the eyeballs, not the brain, that would be silly). She was a tall, gaunt woman with a brunette bob and a large brown coat on. "Could you please get off the floor? My daughter and I are getting off our stop."

And that was when Max-Ernest realized that his earlier assumption was wrong - not everyone on the bus was blind.

Max-Ernest so dearly wanted to say, "No, thank you, I am perfectly fine lying down like this, and would you please go walk somewhere else, or walk over me, even, because I am now thoroughly depressed, plus possibly schizophrenic, and would you please direct me to the nearest doctor?"

But, since he was a polite guy, he didn't say that. Instead, he said, "Yes" and got off the floor and continued to lecture the woman on the vast unfairness of life until everyone was rather grumpy and cross. Then the woman pulled her little girl away (who was bawling about not being able to touch his "porkypine hair") and got off the bus exactly two stops away from where she wanted to go.

Max-Ernest, feeling only one sliver better than before, climbed back on his seat and, feeling deeply and vastly and humongously lonely, proceeded to cuddle with a bus seat cushion, which wasn't very comfortable for any of the passengers staring curiously at the certainly insane boy, or Max-Ernest, or the bus driver, or even the poor bus seat cushion itself, and leaving everyone except for the cuddlingly oblivious Cass and Yo-Yoji feeling very morose and depressed and miserable altogether.

**Author's Note: *Funny, I didn't realize this when I first wrote it, but I then realized that Max-Ernest had just said "shut up" to the mean voice just the second chapter. TEEHEE. Hypocrite. **

**HAHAHAHAHA, THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN TO WRITE. I hope you get as much of a kick of out it as I did writing it. :^D My favorite chapter so far! **

**If you're wondering what Max-Ernest said when he first found Yo-Yoji and Cass cuddling (GASP), here's what he said: **

**"****_Oh-my-gosh-what-the-heck-is-Cass-and-him-doing-and-why-aren't-I-included-and-why-did-I-even-think-that-after-all-I-don't-want-to-have-anything-to-do-with-what-they're-doing-anyway-because-it-is-certainly-something-that-is-supposed-to-be-a-secret-but-at-the-same-time-isn't-because-I-can-see-them-and-so-can-everyone-on-the-bus-unless-maybe-they're-all-blind-but-if-the-bus-driver-is-blind-then-why-in-the-world-is-he-driving-a-bus-surely-he-could-have-had-other-job-options-unless-of-course-he-was-best-at-bus-driving-even-though-he's-blind-but-why-the-heck-am-I-thinking-like-this-when-Cass-and-Yo-Yoji-are...are..."_**

**_(THAT MADE MY BRAIN HURT AUUGHGHG)_**

**Signed,**

**PancakesWithMilk**

**Post Script: On a more serious note, I recently stumbled on an ****_Oprah_**** episode/segment/thing in which she follows the lives of a family with a seven-year-old girl named Jani who has a distressingly serious case of schizophrenia. After watching it, I felt really depressed and was seriously wondering if maybe I should continue to make Max-Ernest have this disease when it's such a serious and tragic subject. After all, what if I took it too lightly, or someone got offended? I didn't want to do that, not at all. So, if any of you feel a bit disturbed by how lightly I handle the illness, or think that I wrote something offensive, ****_please_****,********don't hesitate to comment! One thing that I try to be careful about is offending people in what I write, and that is one thing that I DON'T take lightly, believe me! Thanks for reading this P.S. - I know it wasn't the most interesting or enlightening, but I just really don't want to hurt anyone! Bye now! And good luck to all the people who do have schizophrenia! STAY STRONG! **


	6. Chapter 6: Lost and Pamphlets

Chapter Six: Lost and Pamphlets

"We're here."

The stinky belch of exhaust that had rocketed out of the bus as it rolled away lingered on the three young adolescents. They were all looking up at the immense office building that stood in front of them, disbelieving that they were really there. Yo-Yoji felt especially disbelieving. His fingers still tingled from where Cass's own fingers had touched them. "We're really _here_," repeated Cass, a little warily.

"...Yup," Yo-Yoji replied shakily. "Let's go already - get this over with. Hope you got this guy right, Max-Ernest. We can't back down now."

Max-Ernest didn't reply. Yo-Yoji and Cass looked 'round, but couldn't see their shortest friend. A stone dropped in the tall boy's stomach.

"Omigosh," breathed Cass in disbelief, apparently thinking the same thing, "We _left Max-Ernest on the bus_."

"Weren't you checking that he got off with us?" Yo-Yoji's heart thudded in his chest.

"N-no. Well, I did, but, I just kind of expect - oh, _darn it_!" Cass thwacked herself on the forehead and let her hand drop in the next instant. "How could I be - how could _he _be - " she muttered darkly to herself as she started to pace on the cracked gray sidewalk.

Yo-Yoji watched her worriedly. "Uhhh," he said a little nervously, "Soooo...shouldn't we be going? Y'know, to find him?"

Cassandra stopped pacing and took a deep breath. "You're right," she murmured after exhaling, "Right. Erg, I feel terrible. I've just been getting these weird headaches, and...you know...just having a bad day, I guess."

Yo-Yoji shrugged. "S'okay. I mean...you can always tell me those things...y'know...umm - " he coughed and cleared his throat, feeling very awkward.

Cass stared at him strangely, a flush reddening the tips of her ears. "Er...let's just go find him, okay?" Yo-Yoji nodded mutely.

Exactly sixteen and a half minutes later, they had found him. Max-Ernest had gotten off on the next stop after begging the bus driver to go back, that he had missed his stop - but the bus driver had had enough of the boy and practically shoved him off the bus (and, although Max-Ernest didn't know it, afterwards the whole crowd of passengers cheered the man victoriously as they rode off into the sunset). He was staring sullenly at the pair as they ran up to him, gasping for breath.

"Dude...what...happened?" wheezed Yo-Yoji, bending over and grabbing his knees as he regained his breath. Cass glared at him reproachfully.

"You could have called us," she pointed out. Max-Ernest scratched his head.

"Oh. Lucky the next stop wasn't too far away." His voice was blank. Yo-Yoji wondered what was wrong as he finally decided to breath normally.

"That's all you have to say?" Cass demanded. "'_Lucky the next stop wasn't too far away'_?"

The spiky-haired boy shrugged carelessly. "They pushed me off the bus. My phone wasn't working."

Yo-Yoji was beginning to feel prickles of anger slide up and down his back. "Man! We walked, like, half a mile just to get you, dude, and you don't even check your phone?"

"I checked," Max-Ernest retorted emptily, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Did you check yours?"

The prickles disappeared. Even Cass looked gobsmacked.

"No. But," spluttered Cassandra desperately, "You said your phone wasn't working! How would you be able to send us stuff when - when - "

"Never mind, guys," snapped Yo-Yoji, thoroughly sick of the whole conversation, and just feeling terrible in general. The supposed "prickles of anger" had come back, but this time they were frigid cold. "Let's...go to the guy's office, okay?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Is anyone else feeling sick?"

Cass shook her head. "Just a little confused. How are we supposed to meet this Dr. Yufredo if we don't have an appointment?" She groaned and smacked her head again. "We definitely should've thought this through more."

Yo-Yoji wanted to comfort her. "Look," he said as reassuringly as he could muster, "Uh, we'll work something out. We didn't beat the Midnight Sun by making an appointment, right? Right. So. Uh. Let's just go, okay?"

Impulsively, the tall boy grabbed his friend's hand and set a brisk pace, Max-Ernest trailing silently behind.

They were off...and, sixteen and a half minutes later, they were back at the scene, puffing and out of breath, but there nonetheless. Yo-Yoji sort of liked taking charge. It felt pretty good. "C'mon," he urged on his friends as he tugged them into the building. "We'll be in his office soon, yo...just hang on."

A pretty receptionist was typing away at her computer at the front desk. _Ring bell for service_, said the bronze plaque near a neat little brass bell.

Yo-Yoji scanned the room. A woman in a turban was sitting on a chair, tapping on her watch, staring unblinkingly at the clock on the wall, and muttering to herself all at the same time. The chairs next to her were filled with a nervous-looking man with a comb-over and a loosened striped tie, a rather fat woman holding three fat burbling babies in her arms, and a bony woman with stringy hair trembling and reading what looked to be a pamphlet for the office itself. The trio glanced at the table near the bony woman and swiped three pamphlets as they walked past her to try to squeeze into one chair at the same time.

"_'Welcome to Dr. Yufredo's Alchemy Offices!'" _read Yo-Yoji quietly through gritted teeth as Max-Ernest elbowed him in the cheek. "'_We specialize in' _- ugh, Max-Ernest, get off me - _'specialize in a wide range of subjects from your everyday supernatural occurrences to the wildest' _- Cass, scoot over, yo - _'the wildest of the wild in terms of ancient lost mythologies, signs from the Other Side, and more! If you'd like to make an appointment with the famed doctor, please call the following number: 806-364-972. We hope you are satisfied with our service, and have a mystical day!'_  
That was where the pamphlet ended, the words _"have a mystical day!"_ in a sizably large size and printed in a mysterious-looking font.

To Yo-Yoji, this whole thing seemed like utter hooey. Even if this guy was a part of the Midnight Sun - or formerly apart of it, as he claimed to be - this whole business seemed like a scam. Still, a small part of him couldn't help but wonder -

"Ow!" Cass was jabbing him in the arm. "What?" he asked irritably.

"Look" was the word that Cass mouthed to him as she shifted her gaze noticeably to the people in the room with them. And that's when Yo-Yoji froze.

There was one imperative detail the trio had unfortunately missed: all of the people in the room with them were all wearing gloves.

**Author's Note: DUN DUN DUUUNNN...ugh, I'm posting this late, about 8:00 P.M. or something...sorry. Mondays are always kind of hard because you have to catch up on schoolwork and things...hope you enjoyed it anyway! Sorry it dragged on a bit. ^_^ Next up - Cass! **


	7. Chapter 7: Goin' In

Chapter Seven: Goin' In

"Miss Cassandra, Mr. Yoji, and Mr. Max-Ernest?"  
The pleasant, distinctly female voice made all the Terces trio jump in their singular seat. Cass glanced, feeling a little paranoid, at the vaguely smiling Asian woman in a white lab coat standing near a doorway about ten feet away from the entrance, a clipboard in her hand. "The doctor wants to see you."

None of them moved. "Umm," said Cass quickly, "We were just leaving." She grabbed her friends' hands and stood up. The nurse's smile grew a little more faint.

"The doctor is expecting you," she repeated cheerily. "Perhaps you'll feel more comfortable in his office. This building can be a very daunting place." She strode over to the children and put her hand on Cass's shoulder. The girl immediately shook it off, undaunted by her firm grip. Her eyes blazed.

"We're leaving," she repeated coolly, and pulled Max-Ernest and Yo-Yoji over to the entrance.

"But Miss Cassandra," cried the woman in a strained voice, "The doctor knows you're afraid. He is no longer part of the Midnight Sun."

The elf-eared girl didn't answer. She just strode through the smacked-open door, fear filling her mind. _How did she know my name? _she wondered, more creeped out than she'd like to admit. _Ms. Mauvais must have told her, _she reassured herself as the trio stepped out onto the cold concrete. _That woman was lying._

Her friends, however, weren't so sure. "Dude," Yo-Yoji pointed out, "Why didn't we go in? She said they weren't apart of the Midnight Sun. Plus, she wasn't wearing any gloves."

"That doesn't matter!" Cass snapped, overwhelmed. "The rest were. If we went in, who knows what could've happened? If there's anything I've learned from being in the Terces Society, it's to be cautious about people - especially _people with gloves_."

"But - "

"And weren't you the one who was asking how this Yufredo doctor guy was legitimate or not? I don't want to get trapped in another one of their stupid schemes. Not on summer vacation. Not when we just a month ago got transported to Las Vegas accidentally to learn the Secret which wasn't even - even - ugh! That wasn't even _solid_!" Cass was breathing hard, and though you would have to make her eat nails before she'd admit it, her eyes were welling with tears. "Not with Pietro gone." Her voice trembled, and her throat ached in that way that often happens when you're about to cry.

Yo-Yoji looked somber. "Cass," he began, "Master Wei sometimes says - y'know, about Pietro - that wise men seem crazy to people unwilling to listen. Imagine how crazy he might have seemed when he was an old hermit living in his house - heck, that realtor lady thought he was dead when his house burned down, and so did your grandfathers. Imagine how hard it would be to live in fear of gloved people, even in the winter, unsure whether they're your enemies or not. Especially with his brother gone and all." He shuffled his feet. Cass wiped her eyes hastily and looked at her friend with a small sniffle.

"Well...what I mean to say is," Yo-Yoji fumbled through his speech, "I...well...Pietro never gave up. He always investigated - whatever crazy plan those Midnight Sun dudes were cooking up, he always had some sort of idea of it. Yet even then he was paranoid about gloves...er...I mean - well - what I mean to say is, if you keep on gettin' scared of people with gloves on, you're going to become a hermit." He paused, flushing. "Uh. You know what I mean."

Cass wiped her nose with the back of her hand (she didn't have any tissues in her backpack, unfortunately). "I do," she said, sniffling. "...Thanks, Yo-Yoji. I mean - that was pretty great. I understand - Pietro'd want us to stop their scheme anyway, even when we were scared. And who knows?" She smiled crookedly. "Maybe they just like gloves."

Yo-Yoji blushed scarlet and stuffed his hands in his pockets - as you may know, Cass almost never said "thank you" (unless it was sarcastic), and he felt grateful for her words. Max-Ernest, meanwhile, was bristling silently.

Hand in hand, the youngest members of the Terces Society took one deep breath...and walked through the doors for the second time that day.

**Author's Note: Omigosh, I forgot to add my signature on Chapter Six! *smacks forehead* Well, I'll just have to do it twice this time. I hope you liked this chapter. Weird, I'm starting to like Yo-Yoji more since I'm making him so reassuring. O.o**

**Well, nothin' much more to say. I feel like I'm making the story so SLOOOOW-PAAAACCCEED. Sorry. :^P Until Chapter Eight! **

**Signed,**

**PancakesWithMilk**

**Signed,**

**PancakesWithMilk (DOUBLE THE PANCAKESWITHMILKNESS)**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: Geoffrey Yufredo (Alive and in Person)

The woman was thin-lipped as she cast her eyes on the three young adolescents who had so rudely run away from her. "Well," she snipped sharply, "I suppose the doctor won't get too angry if you hurry. He hates to be kept waiting...and so do I." She started briskly walking out of the waiting room (where the other gloved people waited with endless patience, apparently unfazed by the events previously), Max-Ernest and his friends following.

__His mind buzzed with confusion as the spiky-haired boy walked, shoes scuffing on the polished, squeaky clean tiled floor. _What just happened? _he wondered. First he had gotten kicked off the bus because Yo-Yoji and Cass were...were cuddling, then he had gotten mad at them and acquired a sour taste on his tongue, and then the people in the room were wearing gloves and then Yo-Yoji was making a speech to Cass and then they were back. Now that he was in the offices of Dr. Yufredo, his recent memories seemed distorted and fuzzy, and he felt a little dizzy. Wasn't Cass feeling sick too - or was that Yo-Yoji? Memories jumbled and squashed together. For once, the voices weren't answering his queries.

_Remember, the Secret, _Max-Ernest reminded himself. _The Secret that is still a secret. Between me, and Cass...he can't take that away. _He grinned a little and wasn't sure why.

"The doctor will only have you in for a few moments," announced the woman as they stopped at Room aptly labeled "211". Then she left, just as briskly. They watched her go, nervous. When she finally turned a corner and disappeared from sight, Cass grabbed the doorknob.

"Here goes," she murmured just loud enough for her friends to hear, and swiftly jerked it right. It swung open.

And there, sitting on a leather black swivel chair, was a tall, bony man with graying straw-colored hair and a hooked nose. He was wearing plain black spectacles, and he looked up from his white desk to look at them. "Ah!" he chirped, pushing his spectacles up on his long nose and standing up. "My youngest customers yet. Close the door behind you, if you please. Most of my patients adore their privacy, and I'm sure you are no different."

Silently, Yo-Yoji closed the door. The air was still with silence until Cassandra abruptly burst out, "How did that woman know our names?! And that we were coming? We didn't make an appointment - and don't feed us lies about you having your own secret methods either. Give us the truth - the _complete _truth."

Dr. Yufredo blinked, took his spectacles off, and rubbed them with the corner of his white lab coat. "Miss Cassandra," he sighed, his expression turning from cheerful to serious, "What a solemn girl you are - the leader of your little trio, yes?"

Cass's demanding expression never wavered.

Geoffrey smiled weakly at her.

Cass's demanding expression never wavered.

Geoffrey's smile withered and fell from his face. He sighed again, cleared his throat, and pushed his specs back onto his nose. "I," he said solemnly, "am a scientist of a sort. If you can call my work science, that is. My website page keeps track of all the potential customers by number count - and it goes a little further. Emails are constantly being set to my personal address, detailed and thorough, about each person - gender, ethnicity, religion, and much more...including age. So when I - "

"Isn't that an illegal intrusion on others' privacy?" interrupted Cass rudely. Her tone was sharp. "You could get arrested for that, you know."

Dr. Yufredo coughed and turned red. "Er," he stammered, adjusting his specs again, "I would never...I would never think of using the information for personal preferences, dear girl. This is all strictly scientific. Being a child, you don't understand the amount of work that goes into this facility, and the only reason I do it is to sort out a bit of what their supernatural occurrences and problems may be. A little background research never hurt anyone." The man coughed again.

Cass's eyes smoldered with flames. Her hands clenched into fists at her side. _Uh oh, _thought Max-Ernest worriedly. He knew what was going to happen next - if there was anything Cassandra absolutely, positively hated, it was adults telling her that she wouldn't understand "because she was a child".

"For your information," she hissed vehemently, "I am _not _a child. I am a young adult."

Dr. Yufredo's expression grew a little impatient. "Nevertheless," he intoned kindly, "You wouldn't understand it unless you were a highly experienced scientist invested in the workings of the supernaturally. Now," he turned back to his desk and rifled through some papers, "Onto your event."

"You already know it," piped up Max-Ernest bravely, "It's about the Secret."

Geoffrey raised an eyebrow and turned to the boy. "Ah! The small one speaks!" he exclaimed.

Max-Ernest flushed. "I'm not that short," he muttered bashfully, and snuck a few steps behind Cass so the doctor wouldn't talk about him anymore. Cassandra, not getting the reason behind his not-so-subtle movement, moved a few inches closer to Yo-Yoji and ignored her best friend entirely. Max-Ernest made a noise sound not unlike a vengeful cat stuck in the rain. No one noticed.

"Why'd you quit the Midnight Sun, anyway?" asked Yo-Yoji loudly, still unconvinced the man in front of them could figure out the secret to immortality.

Geoffrey's smile disappeared completely. "That," he sighed, "is a long story, and unfit for chil - young adults, as much as you've been through."

The trio glanced at each other, mystified at how he knew so much about them. "Yes," said the man with a little smile, "I know of your misadventures with the Midnight Sun - Ms. Mauvais tried to keep it a secret from the rest of the society - but I knew. I know." His voice was tight.

Max-Ernest heard the sadness and disturbance lurking behind his words - he knew exactly how it felt.

**Author's Note: Sorry to end this chapter so abruptly, thought it was getting too long. So, the famous Yufredo finally makes an appearance! Nice guy, huh? Or do you think this is just an elaborate plot planned by the Midnight Sun? And how the heck does he know so much about them?! DUN DUN DUNNN...-NNNNN. **

**Hope you enjoyed! For some reason this took a long time to write - not because of its length, I don't think...something else. Maybe I'm just tired. It's Friday (Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friiida-yay! Everybody's lookin' forward to the WEEkend, WEEkend...sorry), and I've had a long day. Sayonara, suckers! Until Chapter Nine!**

**Signed,**

**PancakesWithMilk**


	9. Chapter 9: The Experiment

Chapter Nine: The Experiment

Yo-Yoji couldn't help but feel a bit jerk-ish in his decision to abruptly judge Dr. Yufredo, especially as he continued his sorrowful tale. "I was a fool," he said bitterly, "drinking their elixirs, following their rules, acting the part of a devoted participant, never questioning the Sun's morale. That was my greatest flaw, I think - I was unquestioning. A fool. A unquestioning, foolish, lovestruck fool." He stared at his palms. Yo-Yoji wished he would stop looking so sad - it was uncomfortable.

"After I left," he continued, "I wanted to meet you - the three young keepers of the Secret to immortality...what a title! I was awed by your bravery, you determination. I desperately wanted to see what the Secret had done to you three...had it changed you?, I constantly wondered. Had it deepened your understanding of the world, or twisted it into incomprehensibility? Turned your mind to mush or to magnificence? I needed to know. I was going to send you a letter once you popped up on my list of potential customers, Max-Ernest, dear boy. But I, admittedly, was a little intimidated. So young, yet holding the Secret of the world in your hands! I was awestruck. So I waited, wondering if perhaps you would visit my offices. And here you are." He beamed.

"But...dude, aren't you curious about the Secret, still?" asked Yo-Yoji a little accusingly. "I mean, what else would you want to know?"

Geoffrey smiled a little and said, with perfect seriousness, "No. After countless years of searching for it, I'm a bit sick of the thing, truthfully. But its effect on children was what interested me - not only for my own benefit, but for an...experiment." His eyes twinkled with a newfound spark. "One I'd like you to participate in."

Cass stepped back, taking her friends with her. Yo-Yoji could see the fear glitter for a split second in her eyes before being replaced by a steely glint. "Experiment?" she asked firmly. "We're not going to do any of your experiments. We're just here to learn what the Secret really means. That's it."

Geoffrey Yufredo's smile grew tight. "It's completely safe, Cassandra," he explained a bit condescendingly, "So safe that even a survivalist like you wouldn't find any loopholes in it. I will not hurt you. Just ask Noah-Ann, my assistant. You met her out in the waiting room - she underwent that same experiment, and she was fine. You worry too much, children." He snapped his fingers, and the lights clicked off. Suddenly, Yo-Yoji felt a pair of burly hands wrestling his own clammy hands behind his back painfully. He yelled and delivered a wild kick to where he thought the owner of the hands might be, but the thug twisted his neck back to his former position in such a pain-inducing way the rest of his body dutifully followed. Still gasping from the pain, Yo-Yoji could hear the yelps and rustles as his friends were battled as well, until all was silent.

With another click from Yufredo, the door closed shut. "Far too much," intoned the doctor softly.

**Author's Note: DUN DUN DUNNN! Okay, before I continue my rant of randomness, let us take a moment to commemorate the loss of the AWESOME ninth chapter, which sadly was ripped away from me at the LAST STUPID SECOND when I clicked "Submit Document" in Doc Manager. :,( It was much longer than this, and more detailed, but oh well. I don't want to think about it too much lest I SUBMIT TO THE PAIN AND GO THOROUGHLY INSANE. (Rhyme!) **

**Anyway, DUN DUN DUNNN! Yufredo is EVILLY sinister! Not SINISTERLY EVIL, just evilly sinister. There's a difference you know. ;^)**

**Actually, I didn't want Yufredo to be a bad guy. I actually wanted him to persuade our beloved characters into the experiment with much coaxing, but then I decided that would be too out of character and kind of went along with the "evilness" of him. But don't worry, I won't make him a typical bad guy character! I WILL MAKE HIM COMPLEX! MWA HA HA HA HA HA HAAAA! I've been thinking about entering Ms. Mauvais in, but I'm not sure if that would flow smoothly with the story. Hmmmm... **

**Signed,**

**PancakesWithMilk**

**P.S., I don't mean to sound snotty or spoiled, but ****_please_****, can you faithful readers (or maybe no-readers-at-all) review? I haven't had one since I started, and I'm already on Chapter Nine, and I would REEEAAALLLY like some! Please? *begging face...whatever that looks like* Thanks! That's all I wanted to say - but also, how do you like the name Noah-Ann? I've always liked doubled names ever since I read about Max-Ernest... :^) **

**THE EXCITING PART HAPPENS NEXT! YAY, NO MORE BORINGNESS!**


	10. Chapter 10: Behind Closed Doors

Chapter Ten: Behind Closed Doors

Cass's lips were chapped. She cursed herself - she had lip balm in her trusty backpack, but those thuggish men had taken it from her as she struggled. A pain uttered gutturally from her stomach - she hadn't eaten since that morning. "Hey," she croaked, eyes struggling to adjust to the dimness of the room in which she had been thrown into, "Max-Ernest. Yo-Yoji. Where are you?"

A groan from across the room answered her question. "Here," moaned Yo-Yoji, voice cracking as he spoke. "Man, that guy twisted my neck _hard_. I have the worst cramp now thanks to him. How you doing, Cass? Did they rough you up too?"

Cass instantaneously put her trembling hand to her bruised left shoulder. "No...not really. Where's Max-Ernest? Is he with you?" She tried to move, but her body ached so much she felt like she had fitfully slept for a thousand years, and gave up. Undaunted, Cass squinted, wondering where that dim light was coming from.

"No way, man. Before I blacked out I saw him for a few seconds, but the guy put a blindfold and gag on me before I could do anything. Ugh, I can still taste that dirty rag."

"You're sure he's not with you?" Cassandra struggled to move her arm to grope the space beside her, but felt only air. Panic began to set in - until Yo-Yoji reassured her.

"Oh, man! Sorry, he's here. Still knocked out though." Cass's heart stopped thumping so fast, and she gave a sigh of relief.

"Good. The last thing we need is one of us going missing."

"Well," asked Yo-Yoji, "what are we gonna do now? It's too dark to see if the door is unlocked."

Cass thought. _If we try to wake up, maybe our sight will accumulate to the dark more. _"Try to wiggle your arms, or stand, or _something _active," she ordered commandingly. "It'll wake us up and get us to think clearer. Then we'll wake Max-Ernest up and figure out what to do."

It only take a few long moments to wake their heavy limbs and fogged heads, but not to wake their shortest friend. "Max-Ernest?" Cass called to him while Yo-Yoji gently shook his shoulder - he was slumped against a darkly lit wall. The spiky-haired boy didn't move a muscle. Yo-Yoji shook him a little more roughly. His head lolled a bit, but then settled again. He didn't even snore.

"Let me," commanded Cass, sweat drops trickling down her forehead, though her whole body was cold and clammy. She grabbed Max-Ernest's hand and pulled. "Wake...up...!" she grunted, pulling with all her might. Yo-Yoji flitted around her for a few seconds.

"Here, that won't work - stop - " he said, tugging Cassandra's fingers free from Max-Ernest's pale hand. After a few awkward seconds Cass realized Yo-Yoji was clutching her hand again, and stared at him questioningly. Meanwhile, Max-Ernest's hand flopped, forgotten, to the tiled floor.

Yo-Yoji's face was alert. Cass was confused, until her pointed ears suddenly perked up, detecting another voice, though muffled. "It's coming from behind the door," Yo-Yoji breathed, and the two adolescents scrambled to press their ears against the door many feet away.

"It'll take a few hours for it to settle in, doctor," said a muffled female voice. It sounded like the woman they had encountered, rather unpleasantly, in the waiting room - Dr. Yufredo had called her Noah-Ann.

"Thank you, Noah-Ann," murmured Dr. Yufredo's distinctly warm voice, "I'll see to them later. Their minds are decidedly uncomplicated for Secret keepers - what a disappointment. You'll release them later, won't you?"

"Yes...if you'd like, doctor."

"I would like it. And make sure they've got enough novocaine in their systems - the last thing we need is them waking while you're getting done with it."

"Yes, doctor."

Muffled footsteps...and then they were gone. _What did he mean by 'It'll take a few hours to settle in'? _wondered Cass. And then the colors exploded in front of her eyes.

**Author's Note: CLIFFHANGER, MWA HA HA HA HA!  
Signed,**

**PancakesWithMilk ;^)**


	11. Chapter 11: Odd Dreams

**Author's Note: Okay, before I do anything else, I have to send a THANK YOU note to my first reviewer, fishgirl295, who was kind and dear enough to review my story! Thanks, fishgirl925! That means SO MUCH to me! Don't hesitate to post more comments! I love them all, even if they're by the same commenter! :^) ON WITH CHAPTER ELEVEN...!**

_Chapter Eleven: Odd Dreams_

___Max-Ernest was in a dream, though he didn't know it. He was standing in a white wonderland, everything blank. He couldn't tell the sky from the ground, and he pondered this for quite a while. 'I bet Cass and Yo-Yoji know what this is,' he said aloud to the whiteness, and started to walk, until he reached a clear glass wall that stretched on horizontally, forever. 'Huh,' Max-Ernest said to himself, and looked for a door to continue his search for his friends. He finally found one and turned the glass doorknob and walked through. There he was Yo-Yoji and Cass sitting at a wooden table on wooden stools, waiting for something. Cass was wearing the same dress she had been wearing on their trip to Las Vegas - Yo-Yoji was wearing his own usual baggy clothing. The spiky-haired boy walked toward them and sat at a stool next to Cass - it had appeared once he was within two feet of the table. 'What are you waiting for?' he asked the pair. They didn't answer, just giggled and murmured intelligibly to one another. 'What is it?' Max-Ernest asked curiously, 'What's the secret?' Again, they didn't answer. _

_Max-Ernest sat there and twiddled his thumbs until out of nowhere a huge, steaming platter of pad thai thumped onto the table. Cass and Yo-Yoji made sounds of delight and bounced on their stools and grabbed forks that had also appeared with a few soft clinks. Max-Ernest grabbed his own silverware, slightly lost but willing to enjoy the meal as well - until a great dollop of mayonnaise showered onto the platter in a gooey ooze. Max-Ernest instantly lost his appetite and dropped his fork, but Cass and Yo-Yoji whistled and clapped their hands exuberantly, digging into the mess with gusto and sharp, sharp teeth..._

_Max-Ernest was sitting on the floor, still in the whiteness. He was looking around for something - or was it someone? - and, having spotted Cassandra, completely forgot the terror he had been feeling earlier and greeted his friend, 'Hi!' _

_Cass didn't answer. She was facing away from him, wearing her dress again. Max-Ernest scrambled toward her, a little confused but remaining cheerful. 'Hello?' he asked the back of her head, then walked so he was facing her. Cassandra's face was blank and pale. 'Helloooooo...' Max-Ernest sang, waving his hands wildly over his head, dancing a slightly clumsy jig, and singing loudly and off-tune at the top of his lungs. 'Cass? Are you there?' _

_When this still gave him no answer from his best friend, Max-Ernest blew air into her pointy ear. PC, his baby brother, loved when he did this, though as far as he knew Cass didn't like it at all. Finally, frustrated, he tapped lightly on her shoulder, having to stand on his tiptoes to reach the right height to do this. Then, the brownness spread up to her ankles. Max-Ernest watched it curiously, wondering what the heck it was. It kept spreading to her knees and hips and stomach and chest and shoulders. 'No, not the face!' Max-Ernest reprimanded it sternly, but the brown liquid didn't listen and entirely coated Cass in itself. 'Stop!' Max-Ernest yelped, flitting around his friend. 'Stop it!'_

_And it had stopped. Cassandra was now encased in the stuff. He touched her shoulders, poked her back, and fingered her soft, unnaturally smooth braids. Then the boy realized what he was touching. He would know that texture, that smooth, silky, undeniably irresistible texture anywhere. It was chocolate. Dark chocolate._

**Author's Note: Hi! I've already thanked the wonderful fishgirl295, so...yeah. Thanks for reviewing, fishgirl295! That was really awesome of you! If you ever review again - and I sincerely hope you will - would you mind elaborating on the things you liked and/or didn't like, just so I can get some perspective on how I'm doing? Do you think the story's going too slow, or too fast? Do you think I'm not explaining things clearly enough? Are the characters in character? Et cetera...stuff like that, okay? Thanks! It really helps me work on my writing skills! **

**THANKS AGAIN,**

**Signed,**

**PancakesWithMilk**


	12. Chapter 12: Colors & Question Marks

Chapter Twelve: Colors & Question Marks

Yo-Yoji saw Cass's stricken expression, and wondered what was wrong when suddenly a large clear bubble popped up over her head. Even stranger than that, the bubble was filled with rapidly changing colors, from red to orange to yellow to purple, with black question marks appearing in front of them. _What the heck?! _Yo-Yoji jumped back, the sweaty, clammy feeling he had been in the midst of in front of Dr. Yufredo's offices coming back full force. "Cass!" Yo-Yoji yelped, "What's wrong with your head, yo?!"

"N-nothing!" Cass stuttered, just as panicked. Her eyes were wide as they gazed into his, full of fright. "What's wrong with _you_? You're all...colorful!"

"Colorful?" Yo-Yoji's heart thudded hard in his chest. "There's this weird sphere above your head, dude - no colors."

The bubble's picture changed from colors and question marks to - surprisingly enough - Yo-Yoji's own face, with more ebony question marks popping up over him. "You don't see the colors?" asked Cassandra, her tone confused. "They're all over you!" She gestured toward him for emphasis.

Yo-Yoji shook his head rapidly. "No - I don't see them...and you don't see the sphere either, right?"

Cass nodded, blowing a stray strand that had scattered from her tight braids out of her face.

Yo-Yoji's mind worked to figure it out. "Uh...okay," he said commandingly, "I guess we can't be crazy 'cause you're seeing weird things too - unless that Yufredo creep poisoned us or something." He scratched his head, trying to ignore the fears tumbling in his brain. Cass's bubble shifted from his face to Dr. Yufredo's. He was grinning evilly, with sharp, pointy teeth, and holding up a glass bottle labeled with the infamous skull 'n' crossbones - the sing for poison.

"He didn't poison us," Yo-Yoji answered automatically. Cass's bubble changed again to the black question marks - her face just turned mystified.

"How did you know that?" she asked, her voice a frightened squawk. "I didn't say that! I-I'm not scared!" Her trembling fists at her sides told a different story.

Yo-Yoji felt helpless. "I...I don't know...just...the bubble said - I mean, I...I saw it. I saw that you were scared from the bubble."

Cass's expression turned alarmed. "You can read my mind?" she yelled, and images of Yo-Yoji's face flashed on the bubble, a soft pink heart pumping transparently in front of it. Yo-Yoji felt himself almost float with joy - _that meant she felt the same way. _He wanted to tell her his feelings right then and there, but Cass interrupted his train of thought. "What the heck did that doctor do to us?" she asked, fiddling anxiously with her braids. "What if it's...permanent?"

Yo-Yoji shook his head desperately. "No," he answered firmly, "He probably just wanted to get us out of the way. The real question is, if I can..._read minds_, I guess...then what can you do?"

Cassandra put a hand to her forehead and sighed. "I don't know," she admitted. "There's just colors...on you. And a little on Max-Ernest - maybe it effects you the most when you're awake...and you keep on changing colors, but I have no idea what it means!"

Yo-Yoji drummed his fingers thoughtfully along the seams of his pants. "Well," he began slowly, "Sometimes Master Wei talks about...auras. It sounds like what you're seeing."

Cass didn't lose her anxious expression. "Okay," she said, in a little more businesslike tone, "What's auras, then?"

"It's like energy - emotions in the form of colors...sort of," explained the boy, "You see, everyone has an aura, and it reflects how you're feeling. For instance, if you're feeling angry, it might be...red, or something. I think." He scratched his head. "You're the only person I know who can see them though, yo, so that's pretty cool. What's my aura look like? What color?"

Cass squinted her eyes. "It's changing...it used to be light blue, but now it's sort of bronze-...-ish. It's hard to concentrate."

Yo-Yoji watched the image inside the bubble turn from a cartoony version of an blue aura, to question marks, to a bronze color, with more question marks in front of it. Cassandra seemed to be confused a lot - or at least since they got to Yufredo's office. "Bronze? I've never heard of an aura that was bronze. Maybe they're different for each person who's seeing them."

Cass glanced at Yo-Yoji, and her mind bubble shifted suddenly to his face with a heart pumping vaguely inside. He smiled.

**Author's Note: DUN DUN DUNNNN! Cass and Yo-Yoji's "powers" are now revealed to the public! GASP! Max-Ernest's won't be as "sci-fi" as these two's though, so don't get your hopes up, sci-fi fans! :^)**

**Sorry this took so incredibly long to type, guys - dunno why it did. :^P Hopefully next time it won't take TWO WHOLE DAYS just to write one chapter. See you on Chapter Thirteen! **

**Signed,**

**PancakesWithMilk**


	13. Chapter 13: MaxJust Max

Chapter Thirteen: Max...Just Max

The colors were everywhere - or, the auras, as Yo-Yoji called them. They flickered on Yo-Yoji, shifting colors every once in a while, and glimmered faintly on Max-Ernest (still slumped in the corner). When the girl looked down, she could even see it on herself - the colorful, transparent thing seemed to wink at her as she gazed down at her hands. It was now a faint yellow. Cassandra wondered what that meant.

"When are they coming to get us?" she asked Yo-Yoji, who was pacing back and forth in an almost dizzying manner, his aura a harried-looking navy blue. _Does that mean stress? _Cassandra wondered.

"I dunno - why are you asking me, yo? Besides, we should seriously wake up M-E before trying to figure things out more. Who knows? Maybe he'll think of a plan." The pair looked at each other dubiously. Unfortunately, their shortest friend hadn't been all too helpful of the late. Still, they turned to the spiky-haired boy and started toward him, right as his eyes flicked open.

"Max-Ernest! Dude!" exclaimed Yo-Yoji gleefully, but only Cass saw his aura turn to a murky color unknown to her. His pupils were quivering and large, until they zipped back to normal.

"Who are you?" he asked them curiously, in a fast-paced manner which Cass knew all too well. A funny feeling surfaced in her belly as the two looked mysteriously at him - Max-Ernest seemed honestly confused.

"Where am I?" asked the boy, and scrambled to his feet. "Did one of the bullies do this? Hey!" he yelled, waving his arms and running around in energetic circles, "I know you did this! Heyyy! Someone? Janitor! Help! The bullies locked me in here and I don't know what to do, and there's two other people in here!" He stopped running and stared at the two adolescents. "Did you get trapped too?"

They shook their heads, dumbstruck. Max-Ernest nodded solemnly and ran in circles again, screaming for help from some janitor person, until Cassandra leapt into action and clapped a hand over his mouth. "Shut...up!" she hissed in his ear, "We're...we're your friends, Max-Ernest. Cass and Yo-Yoji. 'Member?"

The spiky-haired boy's aura rapidly switched from the murky color to a surprised shade of orange to a confused green to red, until it had changed so quickly and so many times Cass wished she was color-blind. "Friends?" he asked incredulously, "Okay, now I _know _this is a joke." His eyes lit up. "Hey! Joke! I know a good joke, wanna hear it? Okay, so there's this guy, and his name's...well, his name isn't important. Anyway, the guy walks into this cafe and asks the waiter for the breakfast special. But the waiter says there isn't a breakfast special, and the guy says, 'Okay, but what about the lunch special?', and then - wait, I got that wrong. Lemme tell another one. Okay - there's this woman - no, how about a knock-knock joke? Everyone likes knock-knock jokes, right? Okay, knock knock!" He waited expectantly.

Cass didn't answer. Her brain was still trying to catch up to what her friend had just said.

"Now you say, 'Who's there?'," prompted Max-Ernest impatiently. Then he thought about it for a moment. "Well, I don't know why you'd want to say that when you might have a peephole in the door...or maybe doors don't come with peepholes. Do you have to install them? Who puts peepholes in doors, anyway? Can people looking into the house from peepholes actually _see _inside the house, or is it a one-way peephole? _Is _there such thing as a two-way peephole? 'Cause that'd be sort of weird. I guess it wouldn't really serve any purpose unless you like looking into other people's houses through peepholes. D'you think people actually _do_ that? Or maybe they - "

"Max-Ernest! Shut up!" yelled Yo-Yoji, his aura turning to an irritated green. He stopped gaping and walked over, putting his hand gently on Cassandra's shoulder. "I think he's lost it," he whispered. Cass shook her head, freeing herself from her trance.

"My name's not Max-Ernest," said Max-Ernest a little indignantly, "And I haven't lost it! I'm just wondering. There's nothing wrong with that! Einstein said so, and he's the awesomest genius ever! Well, the awesomest math genius, anyway. Though I suppose Houdini is a pretty great genius, too - hey, do you think there's different geniuses for everyone? Maybe there's a genius for looking through peepholes. How 'bout that?"

Max-Ernest moved away from the pair and looked at them. "Do you two like each other? Y'know, like..._like _like?" he asked suddenly. Yo-Yoji flushed and drew away from Cass's pointed ears.

"N-no...not really," coughed Cass uncomfortably, looking away from Yo-Yoji's face. She could practically feel her aura shimmer an embarrassed rosy red. Yo-Yoji's flashed a shocked light blue, then faded to an injured-looking amber.

"Right," he muttered, "Right. No, we don't like each other, Max-Ernest. Or Not-Max-Ernest. Whatever your name is."

"It's Max. Okay. 'Cause I'm okay with you liking each other, you know." His freakishly grinning face seemed to twist and warp surreally, then squelched back to normal. Cass stared at him, creeped out.

And that's when he fell to the floor.

**Author's Note: YES, I am back from a two-day absence! *party poppers pop feebly* I hope you guys liked this chapter. Too tired to write! Bleh! :^/**

**Signed,**

**PancakesWithMilk**


	14. Chapter 14: Cast Out

Chapter Fourteen: Cast Out

Noah-Ann walked toward the "Waiting Room", as her boss so cleverly called it, where those three meddlesome children were trapped inside. A key ring jangled in one of her lab coat breast pockets. Her black heels clicked on the polished floor. Noah-Ann wasn't sure why the doctor wanted them out so soon after he had just experimented on them, but she was sure he had a good reason. Sometimes, she couldn't help but think, he had ways an unexperienced woman like herself wouldn't understand. Noah-Ann pursed her lips and brought out the keys as her shadow fell upon the door. Surprisingly enough, the children weren't rattling the doorknob or pleading for help - perhaps they were still unconscious. She unlocked the door smoothly. It creaked open, revealing the shapes of the girl and the Asian boy staring down at that short boy with the spiky hair.

They squinted at her through the harsh light. "I have been sent to escort you out," she recited calmly, almost expressionlessly. "If you want, I will help carry the fallen child."

The pair inched closer to the boy protectively. "No," snapped the girl, "We can carry him. And we won't leave until we get some - " She broke off, paling noticeably and clenching her hands into fists at her side. Noah-Ann knew the expression well...the child could see the auras.

"Answers," finished the tall boy firmly. His eyes continually flicked to the top of her head, studying it most curiously. Noah-Ann also knew this expression - the boy could mind-read. Noah-Ann forced her mind to go blank, as she had been practicing for this very reason.

"Yes," panted the girl, relaxing a little. "Answers. What the heck did you do to us? There better be a way to reverse it!"

Noah-Ann put her hands up in front of her face, palms outward. "Come now," she said softly, "Dr. Yufredo has only heightened your senses, to the point of being almost supernatural. The effects will wear off sooner than you might think, children. The real information he needed from you is already in his hands. We do not need you...any longer." She, quick as a wink, glided into the room, snatched the unconscious child, and ushered the others out of the room and into the hall, shutting the door securely behind her.

The two awake children clawed at her, demanding their friend. But Noah-Ann felt secure, and even smiled at their feeble attempts. She batted them away and said simply, "Follow me." They followed reluctantly.

Noah-Ann walked out into the waiting room. The constant waiting people - holographs Geoffrey had constructed to give the room less of a cold feel - sat in their chairs, lifelike as ever. Noah-Ann guided the children out the door, giving the boy to the girl, and shut the doors behind them. She brought out the key ring, selected an ordinary-looking key from the bunch, and locked the doors. Then she admired the holographs for short while before plucking a brochure from the neat stack and walking, heels clicking, away. Sometimes in her spare time she liked to read the advertisements just to get that little thrill of being the famed doctor's number one assistant.

**Author's Note: Short chapter today, this one from Noah-Ann's perspective - and now the three adolescents we know and love are cast out onto the harsh streets of...DOWNTOWN. *eerie music* **

**I hope you liked this chapter! I know it was short! Remember to review! Thanks! :^)**

**Signed,**

**PancakesWithMilk**


	15. Chapter 15: Ernest Just Ernest

Chapter Fifteen: Ernest...Just Ernest

Ernest felt safe. Warm, and safe. He didn't like that - it was against his usual range of feelings, or non-feelings. His eyes fluttered open. He saw the dawning sky, and felt himself jogging up and down gently, almost like a rocking. Fighting to keep his feelings free of the warmth and safeness of his circumstance, Ernest lifted his head up - and hit Cassandra's chin. "Ow!" yelped Cass, dropping the boy. Ernest hit the sidewalk face-first, and lay there for a few moments, calculating.

"Yo, Max!" called Yo-Yoji, jogging over and helping him up, "Man, that was quite a fall. You okay?"

Feelings of sourness and embitterment cascaded through his veins, and Ernest felt normal again. "Get off me," he snapped, yanking his arm free of the taller boy's grip. "I'd be better off without you hanging onto me like a deranged spider monkey, thank you very much."

"Max!" said Cass, aghast. She stared at him, shocked. Ernest met her gaze, mouth twisting into an eerily wide smile.

"I'm not Max, whoever that is. I'm Ernest."

"Dude," mumbled Yo-Yoji ruefully, walking to stand by Cass, "That was _not _cool."

Ernest's spiky hair bristled with anger. "Who are you?!" he yelled, "Who are you both? I'm in the midst of a traveling freak show, aren't I?" He grinned at the hurt looks on their faces, reveling in their wounded feelings. "That's right," he snarled, "A freak show! That's what the two of you are." He jabbed a finger at both of them.

"You don't talk to us like that," said Cass quietly, stepping forward. She lifted her head, and two fierce eyes beamed into his. "No one does."

Ernest just snickered, walking slowly around the pointy-eared girl. "And who are you?" he taunted, "Little Miss Elfin Girl?"

He liked the way her tips of her ears turned scarlet. He had hit a sore spot, and he knew it. "More like who are _you_?" yelled Cassandra angrily, her patience finally snapping. "Max-Ernest wouldn't do that. He wouldn't say that to _anyone_. Not even Amber, not even Ms. Mauvais! And especially not me. You're _not _him. You're not my best friend."

Ernest grinned savagely, still walking around her. "Never said I was." Cass balled her fists.

Yo-Yoji walked forward, holding up his hands. "Hold up, guys. Let's just stay calm, alright? I mean, I know Max-Ernest's being a total jerk right now - "

"It's Ernest!" snarled Ernest.

"-But we'll sort this out tomorrow. We just need to get to the bus stop, okay?"

Cass's shoulders relaxed, and her harsh breathing grew less pronounced. "Okay," she murmured in a resigned sort of tone, "Fine. We'll do what Yo-Yoji said. Come on." She turned and started walking onward, Yo-Yoji following.

Ernest watched their receding figures for a moment, then sprinted after them. If he was alone he'd have no one to torment.

**Author's Note: I AM BACK...from the DEAD! Dun dun dunnn! Well, I guess if 'dead' meant I was gone for about a week or so, that is. :^) I'll be taking a bit of a longer break between chapters because I don't really think people are reading this fanfic (and if they are, pretty please comment!), and it seems a little bit of a waste of time to update new chapters every day if nobody's reading. REVIEWS ARE EVERYTHING, m'dears, and I'd like more of them, okay? Thanks!**

**Oh, and here is Max-Ernest's other alter ego, the evil evil EVIL Ernest! Well, he's not super evil, he's just cranky. He's pretty much an embodiment of the meanie voice in Max-Ernest's head from previous chapters, mwa ha ha ha haaaa! Hope you enjoyed! Remember, you'll have to wait a bit for the next chapter! MWA HA HA HA HAAA! :^)**

**Signed,**

**PancakesWithMilk **


	16. Chapter 16: The Bus Ride Home

Chapter Sixteen: The Bus Ride Home

Yo-Yoji sat uncomfortably on the elongated bus seat, Cass next to him. The orange light of sunset poured from the scratched glass windows across from them, bathing their figures in a brilliant amber. Yo-Yoji was thinking of his parents - they had gone out to dinner like they said they would, according to his watch, about an hour and a half ago. His siblings - especially Miho, his sister - would be glad to spend some free time away from any supervision...they were probably having a ball right now.

The old woman slouching on the seat across from them was asleep and snoring nasally. There was almost no one else on the bus save for a young couple giggling and whispering in a corner and the bus driver. The boy felt suddenly exhausted and hungry - he hadn't eaten anything since a granola bar he had snatched as a snack on the way out to meet his friends. He tapped Cass on the shoulder. "Hey," he whispered, "Do you have any trail mix? I'm starving."

Cassandra shook her head. "Sorry, I'm all out. I forgot to restock my backpack after school ended. I didn't really expect for us to go on another adventure...but then again, survivalists _have _to be prepared for anything, especially the unexpected, and usually I am, but...no, I don't have any trail mix. Or any other food. Stupid, I know, but...wait." Her face lit up suddenly. "Max-Ernest. I gave him a bag of baking chocolate - maybe he still has some left!"

"You gonna ask him?" Yo-Yoji asked darkly, staring at the sullen slumped figure of their former friend. "He looks angry as heck. Plus, isn't baking chocolate chips for, y'know..._baking_?"

Cassandra shrugged. "All we had," she answered, "I didn't think it would hurt him. Mom was too busy with her new...with...with Daniel-Not-Danielle's father to...to notice." She swallowed hard and looked away. "Anyway, I'll go ask him if you're too chicken."

"Chicken?" exclaimed Yo-Yoji indignantly as the bubble above Cass's head changed from Albert 3-D and Melanie sharing a sundae with hearts bobbing above their heads to a chicken with Yo-Yoji's face where its own face should be.

Yo-Yoji watched his friend as she stealthily crawled over to Ernest, or whatever his name was now. He still didn't get what was going on with him - how he was Max one hour and Ernest the next - but maybe his ability...thing could help him figure it out. Unfortunately, the bubble over the spiky-haired boy's head was filled the scribbles of red and black, crudely drawn people with frowning faces, and pointy teeth.

Weird.

Cass was talking to Ernest now, her tone cautious. Ernest did not move one smidgen as the girl scooted closer. "So," she was saying, "Um, Yo-Yoji's hungry, and so am I, and we really need that chocolate, and, erm, it was mine in the first place, so give it back."

"Nope," said Ernest petulantly, "Not after how mean you were to me on the sidewalk. Give something to me and I just _might _give the chocolate chips to you, Queen of the Elves."

Cass gave a shriek of rage and snatched the bag from the pocket of Ernest's pants. "You are _infuriating_!" she yelled, anger purpling her face as she crawled back to Yo-Yoji. "Here," she said grumpily, and slumped in her seat.

Yo-Yoji ate the chocolate chips one at a time, occasionally handing one to Cassandra, who took them and popped them into her mouth. They enjoyed the rest of the bag's worth by themselves, until Yo-Yoji felt comfortably full and balled the empty bag into a crumpled mess and shoved it in his pocket.

As they walked off the bus at seven o'clock P.M., no one saw a certain short passenger scrawl "ERNEST WAS HERE" on the seat where he was sitting as he strolled idly off the vehicle. Not even the bus driver, who couldn't help but feel that the spiky-haired kid looked a little familiar...

**Author's Note: I know this is very late, but thank you, Hisbeloved13, for your lovely comment. I wish I could moderate it, but I have no idea how. I'm so glad you're enjoying the series! Feel free to comment again! I WANT YOU TO. O.o**

**Anyway, this is a short little filler chapter, I know, but hopefully it sated your appetites for another chapter. :^) Also, feel free to tell me how to moderate reviews! I honestly have no idea how. Thanks, Hisbeloved, again! ^-^ That really means a lot to me! **

**Signed,**

**PancakesWithMilk**


	17. Chapter 17: Home Again

Chapter Seventeen: Home Again

Tingles of warmth ran up Cass's arms as she shut the door, a smile on her face. Why was Yo-Yoji so...so _sweet _to her? So nice, so considerate? He had walked her home, and they had talked, and it had been just...so... The pointy-eared girl felt butterflies flutter rapidly in her stomach as she leaned against the front door, heaving a soft sigh of happiness. But the gleeful butterflies disappeared immediately when Cassandra spotted her mother leaning against the staircase, her expression cold.

"What," Melanie murmured quietly, her gaze icy, "in the world have you been up to, Cassandra." It wasn't a question - merely a statement that had been uttered many times before, when she was younger and had proclaimed herself a survivalist after the unfortunate Barbie incident, when she had gone on her first adventure with Max-Ernest as a savior of Benjamin Blake, and, most recently, the accidental trip to Vegas.

"I...I was at Yo-Yoji's house," Cass began shakily, caught off guard and cursing herself for not realizing that her mother would be wondering where she was. "His parents took us to a museum. A science museum. For a report for...next year." She nodded vigorously, though Cassandra knew her lie had crumbled the moment it had been uttered - Melanie wasn't swayed.

"Uh huh," Melanie snapped crisply, "and you didn't have the sense to call me. Honestly, Cass, at this rate I'll just have to take away your privilege to have a cell phone and ban you from leaving the house. This is ridiculous." Her tone grew more hysterical as her voice grew into a shout, "I didn't know where you were! You didn't tell me you were leaving - do you know how worried I was? How irresponsible I felt? I felt just as horrible as a babysitter who left a two-year-old alone for five minutes and she wandered off, but _more_, Cassandra, because you are _not_ two years old, and I am _not _a babysitter. I have to be able to _trust _you to have good judgement. You're lucky I didn't call your grandfathers - goodness knows what they would've thought." She turned heel and walked into the kitchen, calling briefly over her shoulder, "Oh, and you're grounded for the week. No phone, no friends, no adventuring into the unknown. Now come here, I have dinner for you."

Cass felt stunned. Her mother had grounded her sometimes in the past - often, now that she thought about it. But this was different. She had barely been gone for a _day _- she had gone off on much worse! The more she thought about it the more Cass stewed in her own anger. It was only up in her room after dinner that the girl could finally express herself - by loudly reading aloud articles from her Wall of Horrors, which she knew Melanie found unnerving and distasteful. Cassandra's mother soon put a stop to that, though, when Melanie yelled up at her that she would make it _two _weeks if Cass kept on reading.

Cassandra then entertained herself by checking over the supplies in her backpack, over and over again - just in case.

Soon, she fell asleep, and as she did it never came to her that she still had yet to replenish her brand of trail mix.

**Author's Note: I know, I know, short chapter today. I always liked portraying parental figures in stories, I don't know why. ^_^ Hope you enjoyed! Can you believe it's Chapter Seventeen already?!**

**Signed,**

**PancakesWithMilk**


	18. Chapter 18: Dividing Line

Chapter Seventeen: Dividing Line

Ernest went home without a word. He somehow knew the way, and recognized the lopsided house in front of him, as if it had been pieced sloppily together after being torn apart. He stepped up on the doorstep, loathing the soft dusk in a silent, boiling way. He opened the door and went inside, and then bumped into a woman he knew was his mother.

But she was standing curiously to the side, hands on her hips. Vaguely the spiky-haired boy noticed the straight line racing down the floorboards, his mother standing on the right. "Max-Ernest," said the woman sternly, "I have been waiting _four hours _for you to come home. I sat for Paul-Clay for more than enough time, and when it was..._his..._turn I had to lean over the dividing line to..._hand the baby to him_." She shuddered, her eyes haunted, almost as if she had witnessed a tragic event. Then her face hardened.

"Now pay up, mister." Her hand whipped out from her hip, palm upward. "I think I deserve a bit of a tip as well for the extra hours." Ernest just blinked.

"Get out of my way," said the spiky-haired boy finally, and stomped past her, leaving his mother gaping. Once he entered the living room he could see the man he knew was his father on the left side of the line, cooing as he bobbed a young infant in his arms. The man looked up at him, and Ernest realized that he had his father's nose.

"Hello there, son," said Ernest's father cheerfully. "How are you?"

"Hi, dear," chirped Max-Ernest's mother as she hurried into the living room on her side of the house, never declining a chance to show up her sort-of-husband. "How was your trip, Max-Ernest?"

The baby - Paul-Clay - burbled and waved his chubby fists in the air. Ernest stared at the infant and suddenly had the strange urge to pour mayonnaise over him when he was sleeping.

"Well?" asked the two parents simultaneously, then glared at each other before switching their gaze back to their oldest child. Ernest just moved his tongue around his mouth decisively, decided against insulting them lest he be grounded, and stomped up the stairs with great gusto.

The moment he entered his bedroom Ernest immediately spotted the bed. "Well," he said aloud to the empty room, "Might as well see how uncomfortable the mattress is." Then he crawled into it, adjusted himself, tried to sleep, rolled over, fell off the bed, scrambled back on, wriggled around until he was comfortable, and fell asleep with satisfying murmur of how stupid and hateful everything and everyone was.

When he woke, Max was gleeful. He was in his bed, and how comfortable it was! The sun shone strongly through his small, dusty window, and the boy raced over to the sill to admire the late morning sky. He was so busy admiring the wonderful azure, cloudless skies he almost forgot the daily urge to eat a bar of chocolate, and when he did realize it he was mildly in despair over how there was no chocolate to be found. But the despair was mild, and it soon dissipated as Max realized how hypnotic the small fly buzzing around the window was.

**Author's Note: Ha ha, Max has such a short attention span. ^_^ I decided to do another chapter today because I had a pretty good idea of what it was about. I know it's boring, but it's just so much fun to play with characters! WOOHOO! **

**Signed,**

**PancakesWithMilk **


	19. Chapter 19: A Phone Call

Chapter Nineteen: A Phone Call

Mind-reading was a very strange ability.

Yo-Yoji knew this by the time he got home, having witnessed passerby of all shapes and sizes thinking about groceries, baby toys, briefcases, promotions, haircuts, homework, and all sorts of other random everyday items and activities. Though he felt embarrassed from staring openly at all the bubbles above their heads, Yo-Yoji didn't know how to turn his ability off - or, admittedly, stop being curious. The tall Terces member fished out his house key from his pocket, jiggled the key in the lock of his front door, and went inside.

As far as houses go, Yo-Yoji's wasn't the finest. His younger brother's action figures lay scattered across the floor of the living room. His sister's new cardigan was thrown carelessly on the couch, and as he walked into the kitchen he could hear Gajin wailing about something or other.

"But Yoji said he'd be home by six!" the young boy protested into the phone he held up to his ear as he paced around the kitchen. "I don't know where he is - but no! I mean, uh...don't come home. I'm fine by myself. No, really..." Then Gajin turned and spotted Yo-Yoji. "...Gotta go, Mom. Say hi to Dad and Mei for me. Tell her to...have fun and stuff."

After putting the phone back in its cradle, Gajin stared accusingly at his older brother, arms crossed. "You said you'd be home earlier," he said in a voice that was obviously supposed to sound mature and gruff but just ended up sounding more than a little whiny. "I had to make dinner _all by myself_ 'cause Mei left for a sleepover!"

Yo-Yoji stared curiously at the bubble perched above Gajin's head, which was filled with a picture of his younger brother sitting at the dinner table eating pudding cup after pudding cup alone in the house. "Somehow I think it wasn't that bad," Yo-Yoji muttered with a crooked smile. "Sorry, little dude. I got tied up with Cass and - "

"You mean your _girlfriend_?" Gajin smiled widely, puckered his lips, and started making those annoying kissy sounds that everyone hates and yet can't resist doing. Yo-Yoji frowned and waved his hand dismissively.

"Riiight. I'm going up to my room. Yell if you need anything, okay?" The older boy turned and walked into the hallway right before trotting up the stairs, eager to get some peace and quiet, and happily ignoring Gajin's cries of "Wait! Aren't you hungry? Yoji!"

In his room, Yo-Yoji collapsed on his bed and tried to think. _Okay, so we've got to figure this out somehow, _he thought to himself, _But how? Maybe if we all went to the Terces...no. Pietro isn't there, and he would probably be the only one that could really help us. Or maybe if me and Max-Ernest went to Cass's house and made a plan to get rid of this crazy...magic, or whatever it is. I'm sure that'll work. After all, three heads are better than one - even if one of them is half-crazy. _Feeling comforted, Yo-Yoji slipped his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Cass's phone number to make the date.

**Author's Note: Okay! I have been gone for like two months! But finally, here it is! Yayyy! :^) The next chapter should be here sooner...I always find it hard to write for Yo-Yoji...by the way, does anyone remember what Yo-Yoji's sister's name is?! I think it's "Mei"-something, but I'm not sure. Please don't kill me if I'm wrong! O.o **

**Sincerely,**

**PancakesWithMilk**

**P.S., This chapter is dedicated to Aloujay, for being so nice and willing to have long conversations. SORRY FOR BEING A DAY LATE! :^) **


	20. Chapter 20: The Meeting

Chapter Twenty: The Meeting

Cass felt jittery as she faced her friends, gazing at their determined (or, in the case of Max's, dazedly cheerful) faces. Her clammy hands nervously smoothed over her jeans as she cleared her throat. "Okay," she began, averting her eyes from staring at the almost tangible, colorful auras of her fellow Terces members. She, suddenly feeling lost, cleared her throat again. "Okay," she repeated, this time a little more confidently, "For some weird reason, we've been experimented on by Dr. Yufredo - if that's even his real name. And though we're not sure if he's, um, evil or not, we've been given reason to believe that he's still somewhat involved with the Midnight Sun...due to, er, suspicious behavior." She swallowed thickly. Cass couldn't remember when talking to her friends last seemed so _hard_. Were the auras really _that _distracting? The pointy-eared girl watched, fascinated, as Max's aura morphed from a puzzled orange to a cheerful cherry.

"Yeah," chimed in Yo-Yoji, leaning casually against Cass's bedpost. His aura flickered to a spiteful green. "And we have to figure out a way to get this magic stuff off of us so that we won't have to join a circus when we're older."

"It's not magic," blurted out Max cheerfully, eyes roving over Cass's Wall of Horrors with an interest. "It might be alchemy. Or science. Or a trick. But it's not magic - there's no such thing. Hey, what's that? Is that a bear trap?" He wandered over to the picture-covered wall, index finger tracing over an old article Cassandra had pasted years before. "Cool," he whispered, eyes widening in awe. "It's like a wall of disasters." He turned to Cass, aura changing from a slow, lethargic aqua to a quizzical lavender. "Doesn't that depress you at all?" he asked her, expression amused in a puzzled sort of way.

Cassandra shook her head. Max smiled, walked back over to stand by Yo-Yoji, and announced simply, "I like you guys."

"Great, yo," sighed Yo-Yoji, a little tiredly, "Now can we get back to business? My parents were really upset I wasn't home by six like I told Gajin and I have samurai training with Master Wei in a couple hours, so they'll really have a cow if I'm late."

Cassandra took a deep breath and flicked a braid behind her shoulder. "Okay then. Let's brainstorm. We can go back to Yufredo's office and demand to be switched back to normal - "

" - But then he could take advantage of the situation and do some other wackier experiments on us," cut in Yo-Yoji grimly. His aura was a sour yellow that oozed negatively around his slumping form. Cass narrowed her eyes a little at this.

"Well," she continued hopefully, "We could ask Lily Wei to contact the other Terces members so that - "

"But this has nothing to do with the Secret," interrupted Yo-Yoji.

Cass stared at him, a little aggressively. It wasn't like her friend to be so argumentative, and the more Yo-Yoji interrupted the more her ideas were running out. "So?"

Yo-Yoji gave her an irritated look. "So, what if they won't help us? This is _our _problem. It's _our _faults we went to his offices and got ourselves into this situation. Plus, with Pietro gone, they could be anywhere. Master Wei probably doesn't know where they are. Not to mention, even if we did somehow come into contact with one or two of them, who would believe that a former Midnight Sun member drugged us and then did experiments on us for no reason?"

Cass frowned and bit her tongue. "I guess that makes sense," she muttered reluctantly, "But we should at least _try_. I mean - "

"But what are they supposed to do?" countered Yo-Yoji bitterly.

Cass's ears were growing redder and redder as she snarled, "I don't know, maybe _give us advice_? In case you don't know, we could sort of _need some_!" Yo-Yoji's aura turned to an aggressive fiery color as the two glared at each other.

"Cass! Max-Ernest! Yo-Yoji!" sang Melanie from downstairs. Cassandra and Yo-Yoji went rigid as Cass's foster mother called, "I made cookies downstairs. They're not as good as your grandfathers', Cass," she added with a good-humored chuckle, "but I think they're alright for a woman with almost zero cookie-making experience! Come on down - you kids probably need a break."

The two walked downstairs, Cass a little more bitterly. _What is wrong with him? _she steamed angrily in her head. _He was fine yesterday, and now he's all...angry! And who is he to shoot down my ideas? I don't see Yo-Yoji coming up with any...!_

The cookies _were _delicious. Cass and the Yo-Yoji munched them quietly as Melanie wandered around the kitchen, talking happily on the phone with Albert 3-D (who else?) and giggling like a schoolgirl. As Cassandra swallowed the last chewy bite, she grabbed Yo-Yoji and walked briskly back upstairs. They had work to do, and getting mad at one another was the last thing they needed.

Max was snoozing peacefully on the floor. Unfazed, Cass stepped over him and turned to her tallest friend. "Look," she said firmly, "We can't be all morbid about this. I mean, you're all I have...er, I mean, since Max-Ernest isn't being, of, well...o-of much help. You're all I have in this particular situation. Um." Cass cleared her throat uncomfortably and continued, "So you can't let me down. We've got to get through this without fighting or anything, because this time Pietro's not here to help us."

Yo-Yoji blinked. "Okay," he muttered. "Sorry I was a jerk earlier. I mean...it's just that I _knew _we couldn't trust Yufredo from the start, but we got caught anyway. I guess I just wish I could have done more to save us. If I had, then we could just enjoy our summer like normal kids." His aura was a gloomy bluish gray that swirled around him slowly.

Cass paused, then smiled a little. "But we're not normal kids," she reminded him with a slight chuckle. Her hand instinctively went up to touch her pointed ears as she remembered a certain jester she met long, long ago. "We're part of the Terces Society."

**Author's Note: Haha, the twentieth chapter! Whew, this story's going by fast, isn't it? Hope you guys enjoyed! :^)**

**Sincerely,**

**PancakesWithMilk**


	21. Chapter 21: Myrtle

Chapter 31: Myrtle

It was days before Cass and Yo-Yoji contacted him. And when they did, well...

Ernest hung off the side of his bed by his feet, a stony expression on his face. A phone lay on the floor just about a foot away, as if it had been thrown to the ground moments before. "_No_," he said aloud to himself. "I am _not _trailing after those losers. Ever." He curled back onto his bed and lay on his stomach, exhaling loudly. "Freaks," he muttered. "They're freaks."

Silence.

"They don't even ask for my help." He snorted smugly. "And _boy_, could I help them! Probably solve all their stupid problems. Probably save the day. And they'll be all like, '_Oh, Ernest, you saved us! We'll be your humble servants until the day we die!_'" He snorted again.

More silence. The house was empty. Ernest's mother had gone out to get groceries, and his father had taken PC to a nearby park. Ernest was alone, with the phone, and Cass's message still running through his head.

"_Max-Ernest, Yo-Yoji did it! Lily knows where Myrtle is. She's living downtown, where Yufredo's office is. C'mon, hurry and get down to the bus stop. We'll be cured in no time!"_

The excitement in the pointy-eared girl's voice was detestable. Ernest felt his stomach turn just thinking about it. And speaking of stomachs, he was feeling hungry.

Of course, chocolate would do the trick just fine. But _noooo_, _they _just _had _to take it all away. Probably shoved it down their own greedy throats. Ernest's mouth curled into an ugly sneer. Stupid parents. Stupid everything. Why was everyone out to get him? _He _hadn't done anything wrong. No, not one little thing.

Ernest got off the bed and went downstairs, looked in the pantry for anything even a bit chocolatey, and then called his parents to tell them that he was going out with Cass and Yo-Yoji, his so-called _friends_. Ick, just the word coming out of his mouth made him ill.

He wasn't, of course. No, Ernest was set on getting his chocolate. After days and days of non-chocolate eating, he was positively ravenous for the sweet treat. There would be some at a convenience store...yes. It was all fitting together perfectly. Ernest smiled, ran upstairs, and snatched a dollar or two out of his bank, which happened to be Albert Einstein's head. He stuffed the bills in his pocket and exited the house with the spare house key in his other pocket.

Yes, things were going fine.

After moments of walking, Ernest rounded a corner and found what he was looking for - a convenience store. He walked in, bought four chocolate bars, and walked out, gnawing on his purchases with gusto.

Then, only three blocks from his own house, he heard a screech.

"_Max-Ernest_!"

Ernest jumped at the shrill shriek, and turned toward the source, fuming. It was Cass and Yo-Yoji (_Naturally, _he thought sourly to himself), and their faces were flushed with exhilaration. "Max-Ernest, we found Myrtle! C'mon, she said she'd help us!" said Yo-Yoji, grabbing his wrist while Cass grabbed the other. "C'mon, dude, this is ridiculous!"

"'Ridiculous' is not generally a word with a positive meaning," remarked Ernest dryly as he wrenched his hands away from the two. "And I am _not _going with you two."

They glanced at one another. Ernest turned away and started to walk home again when a breathless "_Wait_!" stopped him again.

"What?" he cried, whirling around. "I'm _trying _to get _home_, in case you haven't noticed!"

"If you want to go home so badly, why do you keep stopping?" inquired Yo-Yoji.

Silence.

Ernest started to walk away even faster. He heard a great _whack! _behind him, followed by a surprised "_Ow_! What? I was just asking!"

"Wait, Max-Ernest!" yelled Cass. Oh, no. They were trying to catch up with him! Ernest sped up, but Yo-Yoji, with his long, lanky legs, caught him by the shoulder and pulled him back.

"Slow down, yo. You're going to blow a fuse or something, running like that," he said. "Besides - we have a deal for you."

Ernest regarded them with suspicion. "What sort of deal?" Normally, of course, he had no patience for silly things such as this, but their eagerness to have him come with them satisfied some sort of instinct in his mind - not to mention piqued his curiosity.

"Chocolate," breathed Cass, finally catching up. "Tons of it. I heard Myrtle has bags and bags of chocolate bars - how else would she keep her weight? She'll be happy to loan you some..._if _you come with us." Her eyebrows lifted.

Ernest scowled, but his stomach stirred. _It'll be great you'll eat chocolate and be the hero save the day yes _-

"Okay," he snapped finally, against his better judgement. "I'll come with you. But there has to be chocolate there...or...or I'll - "

"No worries," chuckled Yo-Yoji, flicking his hair behind his ear. "Myrtle has it guaranteed."

Ernest watched them warily. "I'll have to call my parents."

"Go ahead."

And that is exactly what he did.

**Author's Note: OKAY, I KNOW IT'S BEEN FOREVER, BUT I HAVE HAD WRITER'S BLOCK. :^( I just wanted you guys to know that I really, really appreciate all the wonderful reviews I've been getting. Each and every one makes me smile. ^-^**

**Sincerely,**

**PancakesWithMilk**

**P.S., Do you guys remember who Myrtle is? ;^)**


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